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Shakta pithas

TheShakta pithas,also calledShakti pithasorSati pithas(Sanskrit:शाक्त पीठ,Śakta Pīṭha,seats of Shakti[1]), are significantshrinesand pilgrimage destinations inShaktism,themother goddessdenomination inHinduism.The shrines are dedicated to various forms ofAdi Shakti.[a]VariousPuranassuch asSrimad Devi Bhagavatamstate the existence of a varying number of 51, 52, 64 and 108 Shakta pithas[2][3]of which 18 are named as AstadashaMaha(major) in medieval Hindu texts.[2]

Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Templeis one of the 64 and 108 Maha (Major) Shakta pithas and is also the most visited among all. It attracts more than 15 million people annually.[4]

Legends abound about how the Shakta pithas came into existence. The most popular is based on the story of the death ofSati,a deity according to Hinduism. Shiva carried Sati's body, reminiscing about their moments as a couple, and roamed around the universe with it. Vishnu cut her body into 51 body parts, using hisSudarshana Chakra,which fell on earth to become sacred sites where all the people can pay homage to the goddess. To complete this task, Shiva took the form ofBhairava.

Shri Hinglaj Mata templeShakta pitha is the largest Hindu pilgrimage centre in Pakistan. The annual Hinglaj Yatra is attended by more than 250,000 people.[5]

Most of these historic places of goddess worship are inIndia,but there are seven inBangladesh,four inNepal,two inPakistan,and one each inTibet,Sri Lanka[3]andBhutan.[6]There were many legends in ancient and modern sources that document this evidence. A consensus view on the number and location of the precise sites where goddess Sati's corpse fell is lacking, although certain sites are more well-regarded than others.

Shakambhari Shakta pitha,Saharanpur,Uttar Pradesh. Shakambhari Devi is one of the 108 Siddha pithas of Brahma Purana and one of the oldest temples of Devi Shakambhari. Around ten million people visit the temple annually.

Maximum number of Shakta pithas are present in theBengalregion. During partition the numbers wereWest Bengal(18, 1 disputed asShrinkhala Devi Temple) andBangladesh(7). After the secret transfer of Dhakeshwari Shakta pitha to Kolkata the numbers stand as West Bengal (19,1 disputed Shrinkhala Devi Temple) and Bangladesh (6).

Hinduism

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Hindu literature

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TheBrahmanda Purana,one of the major eighteenPuranasmentions 64 Shakta pithas of the goddessParvatiin theBharatorGreater Indiaincluding present-day India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, some parts of Southern Tibet in China and parts of southern Pakistan. Another text which gives a listing of these shrines, is theShakta Pitha Stotram,written byAdi Shankara,the 9th-century Hindu philosopher.[7]

According to the manuscriptMahapithapurana(c. 1690–1720 CE), there are 52 such places. Among them, 23 are located in theBengalregion, 14 of these are located in what is nowWest Bengal,India, 1 in Baster (Chhattisgarh), while 7 are in what is nowBangladesh.

Daksha yajna

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Shivacarrying the corpse ofDakshayani
Main article:Daksha yajna

According to legend, lordBrahmaonce conducted a hugeyajna(ritual sacrifice), where all the prajapatis, deities, and kings of the world were invited. Shiva and Sati were also called on to participate in the yajna. All of them came for the yajna, and sat in the ceremonial place. Daksha came last. When he arrived, everyone in the yajna, with the exception of Brahma and Shiva, stood up, showing their reverence for him.[8]Brahma, being Daksha's father, did not rise. Shiva, being Daksha's son-in-law, and also due to the fact that he considered himself superior in stature to Daksha, remained seated. Daksha misunderstood Shiva's gesture, and considered this act an insult. Daksha vowed to take revenge on the insult in the same manner.[9]

Daksha performed a yajna with a desire to take revenge on Shiva. Daksha invited all the deities to the yajna, except Shiva and Sati. The fact that she was not invited did not deter Sati's desire to attend the yajna. She expressed her desire to Shiva, who tried his best to dissuade her from going. He relented at her continued insistence, Sati went to her father's yajna. However, Sati was not given her due respect at the yajna, and had to bear witness to Daksha's insults aimed at Shiva. Anguished, Sati cursed her father and self-immolated.

Enraged at the insult and death of his spouse, Shiva in hisVirabhadraavatardestroyed Daksha's yajna and cut off his head. His anger not abated and immersed in grief, Shiva then picked up the remains of Sati's body and performed theTandava,the celestial dance of destruction, across all creation. Frightened, the other deities requestedVishnuto intervene to stop this destruction. As a recourse, Vishnu used theSudarshana Chakraon Sati's corpse. This caused various parts of Sati's body to fall at several spots across the world.[10]

The history ofDaksha yajnaand Sati's self-immolation had immense significance in shaping the ancientSanskrit literatureand influenced the culture of India. Each of the places on Earth where Sati's body parts were known to have fallen were then considered as Shakta pithas and were deemed places of great spiritual importance.[11]Several stories in the Puranas and other Hindu religious books refer to the Daksha yajna. It is an important incident in bothShaivismandShaktism,and marks the replacement ofSatiwithParvati,and of the beginning of Shiva's house-holder (grihastāshramī) life from an ascetic. This event is ahead of the emergence of both of the couple's children,KartikeyaandGanesha.[12]

Shakta pithas

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Each temple has shrines for Shakti andKalabhairava,and most Shakti and Kalabhairava in different Shakta pithas have different names.

Map of India's Shakta pithas

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class=notpageimage|
Shakti names at locations of Shakta pithas
Blue:Adi Shakta pithas;Red:Ashtadasha Maha Shakta pithas;Yellow:Daksha yagna site;Green:Maha Shakta pithas

List of 4 Adi Shakta pithas

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See also:Puranas

The scriptures, which include theKalika Purana,recognize four Shakta pithas as sites where most of the energy is.Vimalawhere the feet fell (Pada Khanda),Tara Tarinihousing the breasts (Stana Khanda),Kamakhya,where the genitals fell (YoniKhanda) andDakshina Kalika,where the toes of right foot fell. These four temples originated from the lifeless body of Sati.[13]

Apart from these 4 there are 48 other famous pithas recognized by religious texts. According to thePithanirnaya Tantrathe 51 pithas are in the present day countries of India,Sri Lanka,Bangladesh,Nepal,Tibet,Bhutanand Pakistan. TheShivacharitabesides listing 51 maha-pithas, speaks about 26 more upa-pithas. The Bengalialmanac,Vishuddha Siddhanta Panjikatoo describes the 51 pithas including the present modified addresses. A few of the several accepted listings are given below.[14]In South India,Srisailamin Andhra Pradesh became the site for a 2nd-century temple.[15]

List of 18 Astadasha Maha Shakta pithas

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There are believed to be 64 locations.Adi Shankara'sAshtadasha Shakta pitha Stotrammentions 18 locations known as theMaha Shakta pithas.[16][17]Among these, the Shakta pithas atKamakhya,GayaandUjjainare regarded as the most sacred as they symbolize the three most important aspects of the Mother Goddess viz. Creation (Kamarupa Devi), Nourishment (Sarvamangala Devi/Mangalagauri), and Annihilation (Mahakali Devi).

Sr. No. Temple Place State in India/Country Appellation Part of the body fallen Shakti Image
1 Shankari Devi Temple Trincomalee(Thirukonamalai)

Modern location

Sri Lanka Shankari Pitham Groin GoddessShankari
2 Kamakshi Amman Temple Kanchipuram Tamil Nadu Kamakoti Pitham Navel Goddess Kamakshi
3 Shrinkala Temple Pradmunyee (Pandua) West Bengal Bhavatārini Pitham Part ofstomach GoddessShrinkhala
4 Chamundeshwari Temple Mysuru Karnataka Krouncha Pitham Hair Goddess Chamundeshwari
5 Jogulamba Devi Alampuram Telangana Yogini Pitham Teeth GoddessJogulamba(Yogamba Thalli)
6 Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Temple Srisailam Andhra Pradesh Srisaila Pitham Neck GoddessBhramarambika
7 Mahalakshmi Temple Kolhapur Maharashtra Shri Pitham eye GoddessMahalakshmi(Aai Ambabai Devi)
8 Renuka Temple Mahur Maharashtra Moola Pitham Left hand Goddess Renuka
9 Mahakaleswar Temple Ujjain Madhya Pradesh Ujjaini Pitham Upperlip GoddessMahakali
10 Kukkuteswara Swamy Temple Pithapuram Andhra Pradesh Pushkarini Pitham Back GoddessPuruhutika
11 Biraja Temple Jajpur Odisha Oddyana Pitham Part ofabdomen Goddess Biraja
12 Bhimeswara Temple Draksharamam Andhra Pradesh Daksharama Pitham Leftcheek GoddessManikyamba
13 Kamakhya Temple Guwahati Assam Kamarupa Pitham Genitals Goddess Kamakhya
14 Alopi Devi Mandir Prayagraj Uttar Pradesh Prayaga Pitham Fingers GoddessMadhaveshwari
15. Jwalamukhi Temple Jwalamukhi Himachal Pradesh Jwalamukhi Pitham tongue Goddess Jwalamukhi
16. Mangla Gauri Temple Gaya Bihar Gaya Pitham Breast GoddessSarvamangala
17. Vishalakshi Temple Varanasi Uttar Pradesh Varanasi Pitham Earrings GoddessVishalakshi
18. Sharada Peeth Sharda, Kashmir Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir Sharada Pitham Right hand GoddessSharada

Sharadha pithais currently in a ruined state.[18]Only ruins are found in these places. Its ruins are near theLine of Control(LOC)[19]between the Indian and Pakistani-controlled portions of the formerprincely stateofKashmir and Jammu.Instead,Sringeri Sharada pitham,Sringeriin Karnataka even though not a Shakta pithas, is this aspect of the goddess. It is believed that Goddess Sharada moved from her ruined temple in Kashmir to live in the new temple in Sringeri. Requests have been made by the Hindu community in Pakistan to the Pakistani government to renovate the temple, the issue being raised by former Indian Home ministerL. K. Advanito the Pakistan authorities[20]as a confidence-building measure, by increasing the people-to-people cross-border interaction.[19]

Currently, a new Sharada pitha temple has been inaugurated and consecrated by the Indian Government and theSringeri Sharada Peethamin 2023, in Kupwara district, Jammu and Kashmir, on the other side of the LOC and much farther from the original temple. The Indian Government is planning an international corridor between the old Sharada pitha and mainland India.

In Skanda Purana

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As per Sankara Samhita ofSkanda Purana,[21]

  1. Sri Sankari Pitham (Sri Lanka)
  2. Sri Simhika Pitham (Simhala)
  3. Sri Manika Pitham (Draksharamam,Dakshavati)
  4. Sri Shadkala Pitham (Peethapuram)
  5. Sri Bhramaramba Pitham (Srisailam)
  6. Sri Vijaya Pitham (Vijayapura)
  7. Sri Mahalakshmi Pitham (Kolhapur)
  8. Sri padmakshi renuka Pitham (Mahurgad)
  9. Sri Kamakoti Pitham (Kanchipuram)
  10. Sri Kuchananda Pitham (Salagrama)
  11. Sri Biraja Pitham(Jajpur)
  12. Sri Bhadreshwari Pitham (Harmyagiri)
  13. Sri Mahakali Pitham (Ujjain)
  14. Sri Vindhyavasini Pitham (Vindhyamountains)
  15. Sri Mahayogi Pitham (Ahicchatra)
  16. Sri Kanyaka Pitham (Kanyakumari)
  17. Sri Vishalakshi Pitham (Varanasi)
  18. Sri Saraswati Pitham (Kashmir)
  19. Sri Abhirami Pitham (Padmagiri,Dindigul)

List of all Shakta pithas

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In the listings[22][23][24][25]below:

  • "Shakti" refers to the Goddess worshipped at each location, all being manifestations of GoddessSati;later known asParvatiorDurga;
  • "Bhairava"refers to the corresponding consort, each a manifestation of Shiva;
  • "Body Part or Ornament" refers to the body part or piece of jewellery that fell to earth, at the location on which the respective temple is built.

More details on this are available in the text 'Tantrachūḍamanī'[26]where Parvati tells these details to her sonSkanda.

Important: 1) The main idol of the Dhakeshwari Shaktipeeth inBangladeshis currently relocated to the Kumartuli Dhakeshwari Temple inKolkata,West Bengal.The temple priest fled to India with the main idol during thepartitionvia a specially chartered train. While in the original shrine, a replica is placed. The original holy gem of Goddess Sati was lost long before (the factual date is unknown). So for the actual idol, visit theKumartolishrine.

2) The Shrinkhala Shaktipeeth (one of 18 Maha Shakti Peethas) inHooghly,West Bengal,is a disputed site. The original shrine was destroyed during thepartition of Indiain 1947 and an IslamicMinarwas built there by the Muslims. Years later, a door claimed by the locals as the door to the sanctum of the temple is closed by theASI.The Hindus claim that the temple was destroyed and the minar was built there. It is claimed that the idol of Goddess Shrinkhala was taken toSringeriin Karnataka but no such evidence exists there to date because a different Sharada Devi Temple was built there byAdi Shankaracharya.At present in the Hooghly district, only the Ratnabali Shaktipeeth is present.

Sr. No. Place State in India/Country Body part or ornament Shakti Bhairava Image
1 A.Amarnath Temple,fromSrinagarthroughPahalgam94 km by Bus,Chandanwari16 km by walk
B.Shri Parvat inLadakh 		Jammu and Kashmir A. Throat
B.Anklet 		MahamayaDevi Trisandhyeshwar (Amarnath)
2
  1. Attahas Temple– At a village also named as Attahas or Ashtahas around 2 km east of Labhpur village road in the district ofBirbhum
 West Bengal Lips Phullara Devi Vishveshwar
3 Bahula TempleatKetugram,8 km fromKatwa,Purba Bardhaman West Bengal Left arm Goddess Bahuladevi Bhirukeshwar[27]
4 Bakreshwar,on the banks ofPaapharariver, 24 km distance from Siuri Town [a district headquarter], districtBirbhum,7 km from Dubrajpur Rly. Station West Bengal Portion between the eyebrows Mahishamardinidevi Vakranatheshwar
5 Avanti,also known as Harsiddhi, at Bhairav hills on the banks ofShiprariver in the city ofUjjaini. Madhya Pradesh Elbow Avanti Devi Lambkarneshwar
6 Bhabanipur,located in the Upazila ofSherpur,Bogra,Rajshahi Division.Also located at Karatoyatat, it is about 28 km distance from the town of Sherpur. Rajshahi Division,Bangladesh Leftanklet(ornament) Aparna Devi Vamaneshwar
7 Biraja TempleatJajpur,inJajpurDistrict Odisha Navel Biraja Devi Varaheshwar (Baraha)
8 MuktinathTemple[28] Nepal Head Gandaki Chandi Chakrapani
9 Goddess Bhadrakali on banks of Godavari inNashikcity (Saptashrungi) Maharashtra Chin (2 parts) Bhadrakalidevi Vikritaksheshwar
10 Hinglaj MataTemple Pakistan Bramharandhra(Part of the head) Kottari Devi Bhimalochaneshwar
11 Jayanti at Nartiang village in theJaintia Hills district.This Shakta pitha is locally known as theNartiang Durga Temple. Meghalaya Leftthigh Jayanti Devi Kramadishwar
12 Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple Bangladesh Palms of hands and soles of the feet Jashoreshwari Chandeshwar
13 Jwalaji,KangrafromPathankotalight atJwalamukhiRoad Station from there 20 km Himachal Pradesh Tongue Jwalamukhi(Ambika) Unmatta Bhairaveshwar
14 Kalipeeth, (Kalighat,Kolkata) West Bengal Right toes KaliDevi Nakuleshwar
15 Kamgiri,Kamakhya, in theNeelachalhills inGuwahati Assam Genitals KamakhyaDevi Umanandeshwar or Bhayanandeshwar
16 Kankalitala,on the banks ofKopai River10 km north-east ofBolpurstation inBirbhumdistrict, Devi locally known as Kankaleshwari West Bengal waist Devgarbha Devi Rurunatheshwar
17 AKanyashramof Balaambika – TheBhagavathytemple inKanyakumari,the southernmost tip of mainland India,Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu Back Sarvani Nimisheshwar
18 Vajreshwari Temple, Nagarkot, district Kangra Himachal Pradesh left Breast JayadurgaDevi Abhirunatheshwar
19 Kiriteswari Templeat Kiritkona village, 3 km fromLalbag Court Road railway stationinMurshidabad district West Bengal Crown Vimala Devi Sanvarteshwar
20 Ratnavali, on the banks ofRatnakarriver atKhanakul IKrishnanagar,districtHooghly(locally known as Anandamayee Tala) West Bengal RightShoulder KumariDevi Ghanteshwar
21 Locally known as Trishrota/Bhramari Devi inJalpaigurinear a small village Boda on the bank of riverTeestaor Tri-shrota (combination of three flows) mentioned in Puranas West Bengal Left leg BhramariDevi Ambareshwar
22 Manas, underTibetat the foot ofMount KailashinLake Manasarovar,a piece of Stone China Right hand DakshayaniDevi Amareshwar
23 Manibandh,at Gayatri hills nearPushkar11 km north-west ofAjmer.People know this temple as Chamunda Mata Temple or Shri Raj Rajeshwari Puruhuta Manivedic Shaktipitha. Rajasthan Wrists GayatriDevi Sarvanandeshwar
24 Mithila,nearJanakpurrailway station on the border of India andNepal Nepal Left shoulder UmaDevi Mahodareshwar
25 Nainativu(Manipallavam),Northern Province, Sri Lanka.Located 36 km from the ancient capital of theJaffna kingdom,Nallur.Themurtiof the Goddess is believed to have been consecrated and worshipped byIndra.The protagonist,Lord Ramaand antagonist,Ravanaof theSanskritepicRamayanahave offered obeisances to the Goddess.NāgaandGarudaof theSanskritepicMahabharata;resolved their longstanding feuds after worshipping this Goddess. Sri Lanka Silambu(Anklets) Indrakshi (Nagapooshani /Bhuvaneshvari) Rakshaseshwar (Nayanair)
26 Guhyeshwari Temple Nepal Both knees Mahashira Devi Kapalishwar
27 Chattal Bhawani Shaktipeeth/Chandranath Temple Chittagong-Bangladesh upper teeth Chattal BhawaniDevi Chandrashekhar
28 PanchsagarNear Lohaghat (inChampawatDistrict of Uttarakhand) just 12 km from nearest railway station Tanakpur.पूर्णागिरीChampawatVarahi Devi Uttarakhand Lower teeth/ Navel VarahiDevi Maharudra
29 NearSomnath temple,Veraval,Gir Somnathdistrict. Local People call this temple as Kali Mandir, It is nearbyTriveni Sangam.[29] Gujarat Stomach Chandrabhaga Vakratundeshwar
30 Alopi Devi MandirnearSangam at Prayagraj Uttar Pradesh Finger LalitaDevi Bhaveshwar
31 Present dayKurukshetratown orThanesarancient Sthaneshwar Haryana Ankle bone BhadrakaliDevi Sthanu
32 Maa Sharda Mandiron top Trikoot Hill, atMaihar Madhya Pradesh necklace[30] Shivani Devi Chandeshwar
33 Nandikeshwari Templeis located inSainthiacity West Bengal Necklace Nandini Nandikeshwar
34 (Manikya Amba Shaktipeeth / Bheemeswara Swami Temple)DraksharamamKakinada Andhra Pradesh Navel Manikyamba Bheemeshwar
35 Naina Devi Temple Himachal Pradesh Right eye MahishamardiniDevi Krodhishwar
36 Shondesh/Shon/Maa Narmada temple, at the source point ofNarmada RiverinAmarkantak Madhya Pradesh Right buttock Narmada Bhadraseneshwar
37 Srisailam,at Nallamala hills,Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh,India Neck BhramarambikaDevi Mallikarjuna
38 Shuchi,in aShivatemple atSuchindrum11 km onKanyakumariTrivandrumroad Tamil Nadu Upper teeth Narayani Sihareshwar
39 Sugandha,situated in Shikarpur, Gournadi, about 20 km fromBarisaltown, on the banks of Sonda river.8 Bangladesh Nose Sugandha Trayambakeshwar
40 Udaipur, Tripura,at the top of the hills known asTripura Sundari templenear Radhakishorepur village, a little distance away fromUdaipurtown Tripura Right leg Raja Rajeshwari Lalita Tripura Sundari

(Thirdmahavidya) (main form ofParvati)

Tripureshwar
41 Ujaani,at Mangalkot 16 km fromGuskarastation inPurba Bardhaman district West Bengal Right wrist Mangal Chandika Kapilambareshwar
42 VaranasiatManikarnikaGhaton banks of theGangesatKashi Uttar Pradesh Earring VishalakshiDevi Kala Bhairaveshwar
43 Vibhash Shaktipeeth,atTamlukunder districtPurba Medinipur West Bengal Left ankle Kapalini Devi (Bhimarupa) also known as Bargabhima Devi Sarvanandeshwar
44 Ambika Shaktipeeth, Virat Nagar district, Alwar, nearBharatpur, India Rajasthan Fingers of Left Leg AmbikaDevi Amritaksheshwar
45 Katyayani Shakta pitha, Vrindavan, district Mathura Uttar Pradesh Ringlets of hair UmaDevi Bhuteshwar
46 Devi Talab Mandir, District Jalandhar Punjab Left Breast Tripuramalini Devi Bhishaneshwar
47 Baidyanath Dham Jharkhand Heart JayadurgaDevi Baidyanath
48 Adi Kamakshi Amman TemplebehindKamakshi Amman Temple,situated atKanchipuramTown,Kanchipuram District Tamil Nadu Odyanam (Navel) KamakshiDevi (Elavarkuzhali) Ekambareshwar
49 Jogadya(যোগাদ্যা), at Kshirgram (ক্ষীরগ্রাম) near Kaichar under Burdwan district West Bengal Great toe Jogadya Devi Ksheerkantakeshwar
50 Puruhutika shaktipeeth /kukkutshwara Swamy TempleKakinada Port Town Peethapuram Andhra Pradesh Hip part Puruhutika Durvaseshwar
51 ArasuriAmbajiShaktipeeth at Gabbar Hill (Golden Temple of Gujarat) Gujarat Heart Amba Batuka Bhairava
52 Danteshwari Temple,Dantewada Chhattisgarh Tooth Danteshwari Devi Kapala Bhairava
53 Tara Tarini,Purushottampur,Ganjam Odisha Breast Tara TariniDevi Tumbeshwar
54 Nalhateswari,Nalhati West Bengal Stomach/Nauli KalikaDevi Jogeshwar
55 Vimala Temple,InsideJagannath Temple,Puri Odisha Foot VimalaDevi Jagannatheshwar
56 Shankari Maha Shaktipeeth,originally located in an unknown place inLanka.This peetha is now associated by some with the city ofTricomalee. Sri Lanka Groin Shankari Devi Trikoneshwar
57 Shri Mahalakshmi Griva Peeth,Shri Shail(also known as Mahalakshmi Griva pitha) Gotatikar,Kalagul tea state,Dakshin Surma Upazila,Sylhet,Bangladesh Neck Mahalakshmi Sambaranandeshwar
58 Dhakeshwari Temple(now relocated atDhakeswari Mata Temple) During the 1947 partition, Hindu temples were attacked and vandalised inBangladesh(thenEast Pakistan) and WestPakistan,so the temple priest secretly bought the main idol of Dhakeshwari toKolkata,West Bengalin India to a wealthy Bengali Hindu family and established a temple in Kumartoli. Now the descendants of the priest worship the idol in Kumartoli. Dhaka,Bangladesh

Currently inKumartoli Kolkata,West Bengal

Gemof Sati's Crown Dhakeshwari (a form of Katyayini MahishasurmardiniDurga) Shiva
59 TarapithRampurhat West Bengal Third eye MaaTara(secondmahavidya) (main form ofParvati) Chandrachuda Bhairava
60 Chhinnamastika Shakta pitha atChintpurni,Chintpurni ofHimachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh Foot ChhinnamastikaDevi RudraMahadeva
61 Kaali Mandir at Pavagarh hill in Panchmahal district with in ChampanerPavagadh Archaeological Park. Gujarat Right leg toe MahakaliDevi Batuka Bhairava
62 Aranya Devi Mandirat Badi Devisthan Shish Mahal Chowk inArrah. Bihar Right thigh[31] Aranyani Bhuma Bhairava
63 Tuljabhavani TempleatTuljapur,Dharashivdistrict Maharashtra TuljabhavaniDevi Bhairava
64 Mata Vaishno Devi Temple in Katra,Jammu Jammu and Kashmir Skull/Right arm[32] Vaishno Devi BhairavaBaba
65 त्रिपुर सुंदरी मंदिर, बांसवाड़ा Rajasthan Aanand Bhairava
66 Jnanakshi Rajarajeshwari Temple Bengaluru,Karnataka Ear (Karnabhaga)[26][33] GoddessTripura Sundarias Rajarajeshwari AbiruBhairava

Other Shakipeeths:-

The following shrines are not recognised as the Shakti Peethas, but are still claimed by the devotees and priests, for various reasons.

1. Jwala Devi Temple inJobner,Rajasthan,India

2. Jayanti Kali Temple (location disputed)

3. Asamai Devi Temple inKabul,Afghanistan

4.Juranpur Kali Templein West Bengal, India

5. Sarbamangala Temple inBurdwan,West Bengal (the temple priests claim that Goddess Sati's body part fell here)

There are disputes about the location of the Jayanti Shakti Pitha. Based on most presented manuscripts and facts it is situated in the namesakeJaintiapur Upazilatown,Bangladesh,which was previously the capital of the Jaintia Hills tribe kingdom, in the Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya, India, excluding Jaintiapur. However, some people say that it is the Nartiang Durga temple which is the real Jayanti Temple, though there is a shortage of evidence. Some other people[34]argue the actual shrine is atAmtain West Bengal, where the goddess is worshiped asMaa Melai ChandiinMelai Chandi Mandir.But this fact can not be corroborated with any evidence. Moreover, refuting most texts, in Melai Chandi Mandir, the Bhairava isDurgeshwarrather thanKramadishwar.Some also identify the Jayanti shrine with theMahakalcave temple situated in the villageJayantiofAlipurduarin India,[35][36]where many statues were created byStalagmitesandStalactites(natural rock formations), but there is no evidence.

VindhyavasiniShakta pitha

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TheVindhyavasiniShakta pitha is considered a Shakta pitha even though any body parts of Sati did not fall there. Vindhyavasini is the ultimate and the highest form of the goddess, she is calledAdi Parashakti.Goddess Vindhyavasini is considered the embodiment of all of theMahavidyas,Navadurgas,Matrikas,Yoginisand all the other goddesses present in this universe, she isTripura Sundariherself. Many legends are associated with Vindhyavasini, she is also calledMahadurga.She is the combined form of all 108 Shakta pithas as mentioned in theDevi Bhagavata Puranatext. This is because it is the place where the goddess chose to reside after her birth inDvapara Yuga.[37] At the time of the birth ofKrishnatoDevakiandVasudeva,Vindhyavasinitook birth inGokulatoNandaandYashodaas per the instruction of LordVishnu.Vasudeva replaced his son Krishna with this girl child of Yashoda so that Krishna could escape his demon uncleKamsa,whom he would kill later according to a prophecy. When Kamsa tried to kill the girl, she slipped from his hands, assumed her true form and warned Kamsa that his killer (Krishna) still lived on. She leftMathuraand the goddess chose theVindhyaMountains as her abode to live on the earth. It is also believed that Vindhyavasini is the sister of Krishna.[37]

See also

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Further reading

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  • Dineschandra Sircar (1998).The Śākta Pīṭhas.Motilal Banarsidass Publ.ISBN978-81-208-0879-9.

Notes

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  1. ^Also known asSati,ParvatiandDurga

References

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